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So You Want to Be a Start-Up CEO?

In a recent Inc. magazine article, Tara Hunt, CEO & co-founder of Buyosphere and author of best seller “The Power of Social Networking,” brings a dose of reality to entrepreneurs aiming to launch the next billion-dollar startup.

The bottom line, according to Hunt? Forget the private jet, Porsche and twice-a-year vacation in Bora Bora. Instead, roll up your sleeves and stock up on frozen dinners and Red Bull.

“So, what does a start-up CEO do?”, says Hunt in the article. “Everything except for what you’d imagine a CEO of a company doing. Sure, when you start to grow a company, you can delegate, which is very much more Chief-Executive-ish, but before that happens? You want something done, you need to do it.”

This includes everything from acting as IT expert to janitor (don’t forget to stock up on paper towels and trash bags!). It also means managing business calls effectively, which can be a challenge the next time you receive an important client call and you miss it (possibly because you’re in line at Costco stocking up on trash bags!)

This is where a virtual phone number can come in handy. A virtual phone number helps you maintain a professional business image, no matter where you are. With a feature like call forwarding, calls to your business line can be set to ring at a number of phones, including your cell, home office, remote office, etc. So, you never miss a call.

With a virtual phone number, calls are answered professionally by an auto attendant, and routed efficiently to the number you designate. If the caller leaves a voicemail message, it’s transcribed and sent to you via text or email.

While answering the phone might be one more thing a startup CEO does do, it sure beats some of the things he/she doesn’t do, according to Hunt:

“We don’t collect a big paycheck, we don’t leave at 5 p.m., we don’t get weekends or holidays or vacation days. We don’t get bonuses, we rarely get kudos, and we certainly don’t get a big, gorgeous corner office and a secretary. We don’t get power, prestige, or any level of stability or certainty.”